Some people need to get a life and law makers need to get a clue. Can anyone imagine that a 6 year old girl and her parents is facing a $300 fine for drawing a picture on the sidewalk? You are looking at Park Slope Brooklyn’s public enemy #1. Six year old Natalie Shea in todays society of out of touch bureaucrats is considered graffiti scoff-law criminal.

Six-year-old Natalie Shea got a threatening letter from the city demanding the removal of “graffiti” she drew with chalk — with chalk!— on her front step. Here, Shea shows her defiance to the warning letter by creating a new work with the supposedly illegal medium.

There is just one problem with trying to charge a six year old with such a crime. Would someone like to tell us what the six year olds intent was? Who knew a 6 year old was even capable of intent.

“According the New York penal law, graffiti is the etching, painting, covering, drawing or otherwise placing of a mark upon public or private property with intent to damage such property,” said an NYPD spokesman

Could there be more absurdity in the world?

A 6-year-old Park Slope girl is facing a $300 fine from the city for doing what city kids have been doing for decades: drawing a pretty picture with common sidewalk chalk.

Obviously not all of Natalie Shea’s 10th Street neighbors thought her blue chalk splotch was her best work — a neighbor called 311 to report the “graffiti,” and the Department of Sanitation quickly sent a standard letter to Natalie’s mom, Jen Pepperman.

Can somebody stop these bureaucrats before they Kafka again?

“PLEASE REMOVE THE GRAFFITI FROM YOUR PROPERTY,” the Sanitation Department warning letter read. “FAILURE TO COMPLY … MAY RESULT IN ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST YOU.”

Who knew Park Slope Brooklyn was so hard up for cash?

Since when is a kid’s chalk drawing “graffiti”? Since the City Council passed local law 111 in 2005, which defined “graffiti” as “any letter, word, name, number, symbol, slogan, message, drawing, picture, writing … that is drawn, painted, chiseled, scratched, or etched on a commercial building or residential building.”

In other words, Natalie Shea is not an artistic little girl, but a graffiti scofflaw? (The Brooklyn Paper Via Drudge)

Comments

8 Responses to “Meet Hardened Criminal Public Enemy #1 … 6 Year Old Natalie Shea and her Sidewalk Graffiti”

Teresa on
October 17th, 2007 1:59 am

If Brooklyn’s city officials are so worried about sidewalk chalk, which I’m sure even as a child they used, why did they allow it to be sold in local stores? This is possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. geesh

Peaches on
October 17th, 2007 5:30 am

Another bunch of folks STUCK ON STUPID!

I suggest Brooklyn officials use their time more wisely. It would seem they have plenty of other “quality of life” issues they could be addressing.

Hassling a little girl playing with chalk is wrong.
Mean people suck. And they’re everywhere.

Kay Zee Ess on
October 17th, 2007 7:02 am

Hope there is an update on this. The action taken by the city defies intelligence(no surprise here) and the caller who complained most likely hates the family and is willing to give them grief by any means at his/her avail.

dennisintn on
October 17th, 2007 10:06 am

instead of hassling this little girl, city officials should be seriously investigating the mental condition of the person who made the comlaint.
dennisintn

I heard a woman was arrested for disorderly conduct for cursing in her own home because her toliet was overflowing on the floor.

The neighbor called the police and she was arrested.

What kind of people are being hired by police?

Oh please, what is going to happen if grammy or gramps farts in public?

Libby on
October 17th, 2007 1:05 pm

That is ridiculous. I mean, when it rains, it will be gone anyway…and it is chalk! Good thing this moron neighbor never saw our front sidewalk. My daughter and her friends were out there all the time…drawing horrible things like houses, flowers, stick people and hopscotch. Idiots.

brie on
October 17th, 2007 3:54 pm

Just a little girl “trying to have fun”! Nothing less than what we did when we were kids. How completely harmless! I would think there are way too many other important issues to worry about. Sidewalk chalk has been around for many years!!! I think somebody really needs to speak up and do something about this one! She did not spray paint or write on a public building or a sign with something that was not erasable….she drew on a sidewalk with CHALK!

brie on
October 17th, 2007 3:58 pm

So, it’s not illegal to use and sell chalk…where else are you suppose to write with it…it’s a kid thing to do!!!!!! She didn’t destroy anything!!!